Minister attacks Tory 'smokescreen'

Lord Mandelson has stoked up the row over the arrest of MP Damian Green by accusing the Conservatives of using it as a "smokescreen" to cover their party's alleged collusion in a breach of the law.

While accepting there was real anger among Tory MPs over Mr Green's arrest and the police search of his Commons office, the Business Secretary said much of the furore was a "self-serving" attempt to distract attention from the offences he is suspected of committing.

Senior Conservative backbenchers are expected to lead demands for a full debate on the affair after Speaker Michael Martin makes a statement to the Commons, following the Queen's Speech.

Mr Martin will set out the events of last Thursday and try to justify allowing police to carry out the search, which many across the parties regard as a breach of parliamentary privilege.

Fireworks are expected if the Speaker attempts to restrict questions to short points of order, as aides suggest he will.

A number of Tories are considering the "nuclear option" of tabling a motion of no confidence in the Speaker, which could potentially pave the way for his removal.

But it is thought unlikely that MPs will seek to disrupt the Queen's Speech, which sets out the Government's legislative programme for the coming year and is the ceremonial highpoint of the parliamentary calendar.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Lord Mandelson suggested that some of the outrage being expressed by Tory MPs over the police raid was concocted.

He said: "The separate and equally important issue is the apparent relationship between the Opposition and a Home Office official who, in an attempt to pursue his political ambitions in the Conservative Party, allegedly, systematically passed sensitive and classified Home Office papers to the Conservative Party, apparently in the full knowledge of the Conservative front bench and in complete breach of the Civil Service Code and the law.

"So whilst I recognise that the anger being expressed by some MPs is no doubt sincerely felt by some of them, I also think it is pretty self-serving by Conservative MPs who want to put up a smokescreen to hide their own party's role in allegedly colluding with a Home Office official in breaking the law."